P2.64 billion worth of shabu found in shipment labeled food items from Pakistan

Operatives from the Bureau of Customs, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday seized suspected illegal drugs worth P2.64 billion in the Port of Manila. 

The BOC said that the shipment from Karachi, Pakistan was declared to contain Crispo vermicelli and Rafhan custard sauce,  shipped by Ayan Enterprise/Trading & Logistics and consigned to Redshinting Consumer Goods Trading.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) requested an alert order against the shipment after authorities obtained derogatory information from the NBI. This led to the discovery of 407 packs of white crystalline substances concealed in boxes.

“Seeing this as our first major drug haul of the year, I would like to commend our officers as well as our partner law enforcement agencies—the NBI, PDEA, and DOJ [Department of Justice]—for their timely actions that led to this successful operation,'' BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio said in a press release.

''Drug traffickers go to great lengths to circumvent our laws, deceive authorities, and harm our communities. But our officers go to even greater lengths to protect our people from the harm and danger brought by illegal drugs,” he added. 

Meanwhile, CIIS Director Verne Enciso provided more details about the joint operation, saying that of the 698 boxes in the shipment, 58 boxes were found positive with suspected shabu amounting to 404.9515 kilos.

“After receiving derogatory information from our counterparts, we promptly requested the issuance of an alert order and conducted a 100% physical examination of the subject shipment. Our agents discovered white crystalline substances concealed within the packaging of Kirkland Organic Dried Mango,” Enciso said.

According to Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy, the suspected shabu was officially turned over to PDEA for laboratory examination and custody pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9165.

“Border security is national security. This remains the top priority of the BOC. But while we are proud of the hard work that comes with an operation like this, we also know that these criminals know no bounds, and they will push us to the limits,'' Uy said.

''We are committed to doing even better in the coming months as we try to crack down on the threats these shipments bring to our communities,” he said.

The District Collector, POM has issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the subject shipment for violation of Sections 118, 1113, and 1400 of the CMTA.

The consignees, senders, and recipients of the shipment will also face charges under customs law for violating Section 118 (prohibited importation and exportation) and Section 1400 (misdeclaration) in the goods declaration in relation to Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). — Anna Felicia Bajo and Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA Integrated News